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In this house?"

In this room.... You don't understand? I AM MR. BROWN...."

Stupefied, unbelieving, they stared at him. The very lines of his face had changed.

It was a different man who stood before them. He smiled a slow cruel smile.

"Neither of you will leave this room alive! You said just now we had succeeded. I

have succeeded! The draft treaty is mine." His smile grew wider as he looked at

Tuppence. "Shall I tell you how it will be? Sooner or later the police will break in,

and they will find three victims of Mr. Brown--three, not two, you understand,

but fortunately the third will not be dead, only wounded, and will be able to

describe the attack with a wealth of detail! The treaty? It is in the hands of Mr.

Brown. So no one will think of searching the pockets of Sir James Peel Edgerton!"

He turned to Jane.

"You outwitted me. I make my acknowledgments. But you will not do it again."

There was a faint sound behind him, but, intoxicated with success, he did not

turn his head.

He slipped his hand into his pocket.

"Checkmate to the Young Adventurers," he said, and slowly raised the big

automatic.

But, even as he did so, he felt himself seized from behind in a grip of iron. The

revolver was wrenched from his hand, and the voice of Julius Hersheimmer said

drawlingly:

"I guess you're caught redhanded with the goods upon you."

The blood rushed to the K.C.'s face, but his self-control was marvellous, as he

looked from one to the other of his two captors. He looked longest at Tommy.

"You," he said beneath his breath. "YOU! I might have known."

Seeing that he was disposed to offer no resistance, their grip slackened. Quick as

a flash his left hand, the hand which bore the big signet ring, was raised to his

lips....

243

The Secret Adversary